Sofa bed



E. BERMAN July 4, 1967 SOFA BED Filed Jan. 21, 1966 Edwin Berman INVEN TOR United States Patent 3,328,810 SOFA BED Edwin Berman, 894 N. Bradford, Portland, Oreg. 97203 Filed Jan. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 522,305 4 Claims. (Cl. -17) This invention relates to sofa beds.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a sofa bed of simple, inexpensive, durable construction which operates freely and reliably over a long service life, and which is attractive in appearance and comfortable in use.

In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views in perspective of the presently described sofa bed showing it in its retracted and extended positions, respectively;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the frame of the sofa bed; and

FIGS. 4 and 5 are detail, sectional views taken along lines 4-4 and 55, respectively, of FIG. 3 and illustrating the tracking mechanism employed in the construc tion of the sofa bed.

The sofa bed of my invention includes a back frame and a seat frame which are relatively movable with respect to each other between a retracted or sofa position, and an extended, or bed position.

As is evident, particularly in FIG. 3, the back frame includes a substantially vertical back piece 10, to which are afiixed a pair of forwardly extending, parallel end pieces 12. Also included in the back frame assembly are the back brace 14, side guides 16 projecting forwardly therefrom at each end, gussets 18 and rear legs 20.

The front frame assembly includes a front piece 22 and end pieces 24, the latter extending rearwardly from the front piece in substantial alignment with back end pieces 12, overlapping and in sliding contact with side guides 16. A pair of casters 26 rotatably are mounted on front piece 22, or on side pieces 24.

Wheel and track means are provided for facilitating the relative sliding movement of the back and front frames of the sofa bed. The construction of these components is shown particularly in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

Extending forwardly in parallel, spaced relation from each side of the back frame, are a pair of tracks 30. These are secured to end pieces 12 by means of bolts 32 which penetrate not only the end pieces, but also track 30 and appropriately positioned spacer blocks 34, FIG. 5. An integral detent or stop 36 may be provided at the end of each track.

Tracks 30 are dimensioned to receive wheels 40 secured to front frame end pieces 24 at suitable intervals by means of bolts 42. In this manner the front frame is mounted for movement between the retracted and extended positions of FIGS. 1 and 2, wheels 40 rolling in tracks 30 and casters 26 rolling on the floor.

In this motion the front frame is guided not only by side guides 16, but also by a central guide assembly, the construction of which is illustrated in FIG. 3.

As shown in that figure, a central, horizontally arranged tongue 44 is fixed rigidly to the back frame. It extends forwardly in the direction of the front frame, spanning the distance between back piece and front piece 22 when the seat frame is in its retracted position.

Cooperating with central tongue 44 are a pair of laterally spaced tongues 46 interconnected by top and bottom vertically spaced cross ties 48. The forward ends of tongues 46 are secured rigidly to seat frame front piece 22. The three tongues thus form an interlocking guide assembly which stabilizes and guides the seat frame as the sofa bed is opened and closed.

Latch means are provided for latching the seat frame in its retracted position.

In the illustrated form of the invention the latch means includes a post 50 mounted upon and extending rigidly upwardly from the outer end of guide tongue 44. A latch, indicated generally at 52, and having an operating pin 54 is screwed or otherwise fixed to the inner surface of front piece 22 of the seat frame.

Latch 52 is dimensioned to receive post 50 in releasable engagement when the seat frame is in its retracted position. However, by pushing pin 54, the latch may be released, permitting extension of the seat frame to the position of FIG. 2.

Suitable stop means are provided for arresting the movement of the seat frame when the seat has reached its predetermined limit of travel. As illustrated in the drawings, such means may comprise detents or stops 36 in the outer ends of tracks 30. These engage wheels 40 when the seat frame has been moved fully outwardly.

In the alternative, post 50 may be of sufficient strength and dimensions to engage upper cross tie 48, thereby limiting the travel of the seat. Still further, stop blocks may be placed on one or both of traveling guide tongues 46 and positioned to engage appropriate structural members of the back frame.

To complete the sofa bed, there may be provided a spring assembly 56 mounted in the seat frame, and a seat cushion 58 superimposed upon the spring. For convenience and simplicity of manufacture, as well as for comfort in use, the seat cushion may comprise a single piece of covered foamed plastic.

Similarly, a back cushion 60 may be mounted on the back frame, inside back piece 10 and between back end pieces 12.

There thus is provided a sofa bed of simple, durable construction which may be extended to its bed position merely by releasing latch 52 and pulling the seat frame outwardly a short distance, i.e. ten or twelve inches, to the extended position of FIG. 2. This exposes the full width of cushion 58 and provides a comfortable single bed. To change the bed to a sofa, the foregoing sequence is reversed, the seat frame being pushed inwardly until latch 52 engages post 50.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sofa bed comprising (a) a back frame including a back piece and a pair of end pieces secured to and extending forwardly from the back piece,

(b) a seat frame including a front piece and a pair of end pieces secured to and extending rearwardly from the front piece in substantial alignment with the end pieces of the back frame,

(0) caster means mounting the front end of the seat frame,

(d) a pair of tracks secured one to each back frame end piece on the inside thereof and extending forwardly adjacent and parallel to the seat frame end pieces on the inside thereof, and

(e) wheel means rotatably mounted on the seat frame end pieces on the inside thereof and tracking on the tracks, thereby supporting the seat frame end pieces rearwardly of the caster means movably on the tracks and permitting adjustment of the seat frame between extended and retracted positions relative to the back frame.

2. The sofa bed of claim 1 including cooperating guide means on the respective frames for guiding their relative movement, the guide means comprising a central, horizontal tongue secured to and extending forwardly from {the back frame back piece, and a pair of laterally spaced,

cooperating tongues secured to and extending rearwardly from the seat frame front piece, one on each side of the back frame tongue in guiding relation thereto.

3. The sofa bed of claim 2 including latch means for releasably securing the back piece tongue to the front frame.

4. The sofa bed of claim 3 wherein the latch means comprises a vertical post on the back frame tongue and a post-engaging latch on the front frame front piece,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SOFA BED COMPRISING (A) A BACK FRAME INCLUDING A BACK PIECE AND A PAIR OF END PIECES SECURED TO AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM THE BACK PIECE, (B) A SEAT FRAME INCLUDING A FRONT PIECE AND A PAIR OF END PIECES SECURED TO AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM THE FRONT PIECE IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE END PIECES OF THE BACK FRAME, (C) CASTER MEANS MOUNTING THE FRONT END OF THE SEAT FRAME, (D) A PAIR OF TRACKS SECURED ONE TO EACH BACK FRAME END PIECE ON THE INSIDE THEREOF AND EXTENDING FORWARDLY ADJACENT AND PARALLEL TO THE SEAT FRAME END PIECES ON THE INSIDE THEREOF, AND (E) WHEEL MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON THE SEAT FRAME END PIECES ON THE INSIDE THEREOF AND TRACKING ON THE TRACKS, THEREBY SUPPORTING THE SEAT FRAME END PIECES REARWARDLY OF THE CASTER MEANS MOVABLY ON THE TRACKS AND PERMITTING ADJUSTMENT OF THE SEAT FRAME BETWEEN EXTENDED AND RETRACTED POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE BACK FRAME. 